The re-publication of the Prophet cartoons by seventeen Danish newspapers last week was denounced by Muslims the world over. The controversy is not one of press freedom, but rather it feeds cycles of hatred and ignorance which only increase the gulfs between religions, according to the Prime Minister, Dr. Ali Mohammed Mujawr, in a support meeting organized by the Al-Eman University last Monday calling for defending the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH).

In his speech, Mujwar called for an international law that criminalizes religious insults and enforces mutual respect of religions, calling on all rationalists in the West to avoid such negative acts. “This can only increase the instability in relations among Islamic and Western nations,” said Mujwar.

I wonder if book burnings would help restore stability in relations among Islamic and Western nations?

Muslim representatives and Vatican officials begin talks this week that they hope will lead to an unprecedented Catholic-Islamic meeting. Five representatives from each side will meet on Tuesday for two days in Rome to work out the details of a larger meeting that will include Pope Benedict later this year.

“We have to bring the dialogue up to date following the great successes of the pontificate of John Paul II,” said Yahya Sergio Yahe Pallavicini, vice-president of the Italian Islamic Religious Community.

All of the above is just a long-winded way of saying that people always struggle for power and control of each other. Religious hatred is not about religion or ethnicity, but power. If religions provide power, people will fight and kill each other for it. If a group is seen to lack power, people who have less power than they feel they deserve will kill members of that group, or encourage others to do so, in order to feel more powerful. Today, newspapers like the New York Times and others are drifting toward advocacy of a new type of religious hatred: conflict between secularists and Christians. In view of the tragic history of past religious conflicts, they are playing with fire.

“Have we as a society decided to accept violence as a legitimate response to humor? Somehow we have managed to rationalize incursions upon our fundamental freedoms as small exceptions for comfort. Which calls for more fear: a two-dimensional drawing or a mob of violent protesters?””There is nothing inherently threatening about the commentary, but there is in the disproportionate reaction to it. Without more heroic defenses of our freedom to criticize religious extremism in the face of violence, we may lose the ability to criticize anything at all. If we should not judge another society by the standards of our own, then neither should we be held to modify our societal freedoms by the standards of another. Just as Zank believes we should not incite hatred in the ‘guise of supporting free speech,’ I submit that we cannot curtail freedom in the name of tolerance.”

Pakistan has blocked access to the popular YouTube website because of content deemed offensive to Islam.Its telecommunications authority ordered internet service providers to block the site until further notice.

Reports said the content included Danish cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad that have outraged many.

But one report said a trailer for a forthcoming film by Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders, which portrays Islam in a negative light, was behind the ban.
[…] Other countries that have temporarily blocked access to YouTube include Turkey and Thailand.

EU foreign ministers are meeting in Brussels to seek a joint position on Kosovo’s independence declaration.While the major European powers are widely expected to recognise Kosovo’s independence from Serbia, several other countries have strong reservations.

Cyprus, Greece, Romania and Spain have expressed anxiety about the signal that recognition might send to separatists.

Kosovo’s majority ethnic Albanians celebrated with fireworks late into the night after parliament’s declaration.

Slovenia’s Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, chairing the EU meeting, said “I understand many of the member states will recognise” Kosovo.

His British and French colleagues insisted Kosovo was a unique case and called for EU unity on the issue, the BBC’s Oana Lungescu reports.

This process of paulatine independence achieved by Kosovo can be used (and Putin is right here) by other secesionists movements in other parts of the world to legitimate their cause, as here can be the Basque case, in France the Corse, or in Georgia the Osetian people (I add, the Welsh/Scottish in GB, for example…). I’m not saying that the situations are similar, just that this case can be used as a basis by the secesionists movements in other parts of Europe and Asia because this “independence” has been supported by most of the Western countries.

What’s the problem? That Russia is angry, not only because of Kosovo’s independence, but also because of the Eastern European countries are going to be the soil to the US missile defense system, Poland having already agreed to it. So Putin is already redirecting gas reserves to China ( hmm 😉 ), Irán (hmmmmm 😉 ) and in general the Eastern Asian countries (India, Japan…), forming the new axis: Russia-China-Iran. An axis that is nothing but the worse thing that can happen: an autocrat, a communist and an “mystical” islamo-fascist, all of them united.

Must European policy be dependent from the countries which have gas or oil? No, but it is. Only if European Governments understand than we must use the energetic nuclear potential, we would be freed from any dictator/autocrat who has gas or oil. Is Putin right? Yes, I agree with Aquiles, but not because of the energetic question, but because of the danger this poses not only to other countries, but to the Serbs who are still living in this “independent” Kosovo.

The United States should be worried that Russia, China and OPEC oil-producing countries could use their growing financial clout to advance political goals, the top U.S. spy chief told Congress on Tuesday.

They do not understand they are just digging their own grave: not supporting Russia never (they could have supported Russia in Kosovo’s affair and calm down the relations a bit) they are causing Russia to fall on China’s embrace. Something that is not even strange, considering the growin influence of China in Siberia… because of the reserves of gas and oil that are the real target of Chinese Communists. Curiously, China is doing there the same thing Alban-Kosovars have done in Kosovo: massive immigration which has caused a change even in the name of Vladivostok, which is now known by its Chinese name. Surely this worries Putin a lot and it’s another reason not to support Kosovo’s independence, as China is not Serbia…

Even leaving aside the question of international legitimacy, however, there is another still more fundamental reason for insisting that Kosovo did not become independent yesterday and will not be independent for the foreseeable future – if indeed ever. In its resolution, the Kosovo parliament declared that Kosovo is an “independent and sovereign state.” But in the very next sentence it states that this declaration is occurring “in full accordance” with the famous “Ahtisaari Plan” for Kosovo’s final status: so-named for UN Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari. Now, even a cursory glance at the Ahtisaari Plan – which can be consulted in full here – makes obvious that it does not in fact foresee independence for Kosovo, but rather what has been euphemistically described as “supervised independence.”

Kosovo is, needless to say, to be independent from Serbia – which de facto it has been, in any case, since the close of the NATO bombing campaign in June 1999 – and it is to have its “own” constitution and its “own” political institutions. But these political institutions as a whole are to be subjected to the higher authority of an “International Civilian Representative” invested with dictatorial powers. The International Civilian Representative or “ICR” is empowered, for instance, to annul any laws or decisions adopted by the local Kosovo authorities and to “sanction” or outright dismiss public officials. Lest there be any doubt about where the ultimate authority in Kosovo resides, the International Civilian Representative is to serve simultaneously as the “Special Representative” of the European Union.

“We’ll strongly warn against any attempts at repressive measures should Serbs in Kosovo decide not to comply with this unilateral proclamation of independence,” Russia’s U.N. ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, said ahead of an emergency session of the U.N. Security Council, called by Moscow.

Albanians are seen passing a banner which reads, ‘Kosovo Is Free’, in the Albanian capital of Tirana, Sunday, Feb. 17, 2008. People throughout Albania were celebrating Kosovo‘s independence Sunday, as the national flag fluttered from state buildings and private homes alike. (AP Photo/Hektor Pustina)

Soldiers fired automatic weapons into a crowd of anti-government protesters Thursday as tens of thousands defied the ruling military junta’s crackdown with a 10th straight day of demonstrations.
A Japanese Foreign Ministry official told The Associated Press that several people, including a Japanese national, were found dead following Thursday’s protests.

The information was transmitted by Myanmar’s Foreign Ministry to the Japanese Embassy in Yangon, the official said on condition of anonymity citing protocol.

The chaos came a day after the government launched a crackdown in Yangon that it said killed at least one man. Dissidents outside Myanmar reported receiving news of up to eight deaths Wednesday.

Some reports said the dead included Buddhist monks, who are widely revered in Myanmar, and the emergence of such martyrs could stoke public anger against the regime and escalate the violence.

As part of the crackdown, monasteries were raided overnight by pro-junta forces in which monks were reportedly beaten and more than 100 were arrested.

The regime is searching for journalists throughout hotels, because it’s rumoured that there are some of them who have entered the country with a tourist visa…

[My mother, who is not normally interested in international news, is absolutely outraged… And I didn’t have time to explain anything to her. After that, she is really angry… ]

During the session, China denied its vote to a joint formal declaration which would have condemened the acts of the Military Junta during the peaceful demonstrations of these last days. It was not possible either to discuss about possible sanctions, even when the French FM Bernard Kouchner insisted in a condemnation to the Burmese leaders. The Chinese Ambassador to the UN, Wang Guangya, said after the meeting that the sanctions against Burma would not be of great help.

Of course not, China is just subsidizing the Junta, it is the 1st commercial partner and the 1st investor in the country. They are not going to shoot themselves in the foot…

septiembre 23, 2007

is going to be unforgettable (but not in the good sense of the word)… because of the collection of idiot moonbats leaders that are going to attend it.

As I wrote yesterday, Ahmadinejad is going to be there. He will also address the “American people” on 60 minutes (I would like to know if gorgeous Ahmi would let Bush address the Iranian people if he went to Iran…):

Those (countries) who assume that decaying methods such as psychological war, political propaganda and the so-called economic sanctions would work and prevent Iran’s fast drive toward progress are mistaken,” said Ahmadinejad.

“Those who prevented Iran, at the height of the war from getting even barbed wire must see now that all the equipment on display today has been built by the mighty hands and brains of experts at Iran’s armed forces.”

What a rhetoric!! It is very clear, nonetheless, whatever the world does, the Mullahs want the bomb as they think that is a defense against any possible attack from foreign countries.

Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is poised to deliver a defiant address to the United Nations general assembly this week amid a storm of opposition to his visit to New York and growing international alarm over his country’s nuclear ambitions.

On the eve of his departure from Tehran, the Iranian military yesterday showed off a new long-range ballistic missile called the Ghadr – Farsi for ‘power’.

In a speech marking the event, Ahmadinejad shrugged off US and regional concerns about Iran’s more assertive role, saying: ‘Iran is an influential power in the region and the world should know that this power has always served peace, stability, brotherhood and justice.’

Iran demanded on Friday that U.N. inspectors visit Israel to investigate its nuclear capability while Israel accused Tehran of lying in a bitter debate at an assembly of the U.N. atomic watchdog.The debate was sought by Arab and Islamic states after they shelved a resolution to brand Israel an atomic “threat” in the face of a likely Western maneuver to block a floor vote.

Israel is widely assumed to have the Middle East’s only atomic arsenal, though it has never confirmed or denied this. It is also one of just three states to shun the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, along with India and Pakistan.

Iran is under U.N. Security Council sanctions for refusing to halt a nuclear energy program feared by major powers to be a covert attempt to build atom bombs. Tehran’s Islamist leaders have called for Israel’s destruction.

Firstly, they have not called Teheran’s leaders ultraconservatives, term which seems to refer to a kind of Azores’ photo with Sarkozy more than to the real nature of these guys. Reuters seems to be improving…

Secondly, who has called for the destruction of the other? Iran or Israel? The problem is not that Iran would have nukes but that Iranian leaders (and specially Ahmadiner-jacket….) have called several times for Israel’s destruction.

The meeting must have been terrible funny. And yet, Ahmi is in NY for the UN meeting and he is going to speak there….

At least, the NYPD has forbidden him to go to Ground Zero, considering the insult this would mean for the dead there on Sep 11.

the American people, sir, believe that your country is a terrorist nation, exporting terrorism in the world. You must have known that visiting the World Trade Center site would infuriate many Americans.

AHMADINEJAD: Well, I’m amazed. How can you speak for the whole of the American nation?

PELLEY: Well, the American nation–

AHMADINEJAD: You are representing a media and you’re a reporter. The American nation is made up of 300 million people. There are different points of view over there.

As you know, an affront to the Prophet of Islam means an affront to all the divine prophets, because the Prophet of Islam is the Seal of the Prophets. […] Therefore, because the Zionists have no religion, I strongly suspect that they are behind [the Swedish cartoon], and that they want to embarrass the Europeans, and make the European governments face a challenge. They want to instigate a war, because war is the essence of their existence. If the world is calm, the people of Europe the Germans… If the world is calm, they will eradicate the Zionists. I’m convinced of this. Do you know how many messages I get from Germans every day? They have an aversion to the Zionists. The Zionists humiliated the German people very much. But the Zionists are in control. The moment the world is calm and people can express their views, you will see that they will drive them out of Europe. The people of Europe themselves will drive them out. The [Zionists] do not want such a thing to happen, and that’s why they instigate new turmoil every day.

And this man is going to be allowed speaking??? About what??? Because I imagine he is not going to speak about Iranian pastry…

Iran relies on the denialists and psychopaths in free nations for whom blatant antisemitism, Holocaust denial and promises of ‘We will finish what Hitler started,’ are not enough to disqualify those purveyors of hate and bigotry from being portrayed as ‘helpless victims,’ or ‘misunderstood.’ In fact, all that is necessary for these moral degenerates to remain worthy of leftist love is to adopt an anti American, anti Israel and anti Semitic postures and all will be forgiven. The persecution and oppression of their own populations, the denigrations of women and children and the support of terror can all be overlooked and forgiven as long as the hate is ‘correctly’ focused.

When all is said and done, that is why the left cares little for the Darfurese. As long as the Bashir government and Arab Janjaweed are sufficiently anti American and anti democracy, the butcher, rape and slaughter can continue. The two million dead in Sudan over the last two decades are irrelevant.

And he adds “Many of the anti-Syrian members of the government are in hiding.” Except Lebanon’s Parliament Majority leader Saad al-Hariri , Druze leader Walid Jumblatt and Christian leader of the Lebanese forces party Samir Geagea, who all were at the funeral.

In an interview in Le Monde, the Assistant to the UNSC for Legal Affairs, Nicolas Michel, has stated that “till the end of the year, there would be no tribunal for the Liban“, referring to the International Tribunal which must judge the culprits of the assasination of PM Rafik Hariri.